Web advancer and cutter apparatus



y 5, 1970 R. FARW ELL 3,510,035

WEB ADVANCER AND CUTTER APPARATUS Filed May 27. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. PVJSl-L I IVPIK EZL BY Qo M aria/Qua May 5, 1970 R. FARWELL WEB ADVANCER AND CUTTER APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27. 1968 IN VEN'I 0R.

20x41 L. P021054 L United States Patent 3,510,035 WEB ADVANCER AND CUTTER APPARATUS Russel] Farwell, Cedar Springs, Mich., assiguor to James A. Black, Union and Averill, Mich. Filed May 27, 1968, Ser. No. 732,171 Int. Cl. B65h 17/08 US. Cl. 226-1 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Web advancement apparatus and method enabling advancement of a slack web while allowing complete lateral alignment thereof, using first and second sets of spherical rolling elements, i.e. balls, with individual balls in each set being biased toward balls in the other set, and en-- gaging opposite faces of the web, one set being rotationally driven, and all the balls being universally rotational, to allow forward web advancement with rotation of the balls, while also enabling constant lateral alignment adjustment of the web. Normally one set of balls is positioned above the other, the upper ones being metal, at least in the center, to be relatively heavy, and the lower being resilient, at least on the surface, to allow optimum gripping relationship in cooperation with the upper balls, and good gripping relationship wtih a power roll rotating the lower set. The most accurate registry of the web is achieved, even with intermittent driving action, by having the lower balls offset slightly forwardly of the upper balls, with respect to the direction of web advancement.

Background of the invention This invention relates to an apparatus and a method of advancing web stock, and more particularly to such capable of maintaining constant lateral web alignment during web advancement, even of a slack Web by the use 021 universally rotational web engaging and advancing b ls.

Continuous web stock is commonly advanced from a large roll to various individual or multiple operations to be performed on it, e.g. printing, laminating, impressing, shearing, and the like. As is known in the art, unless the web is kept in a taut condition between the stock roll and the usual pair of pulling rolls, i.e. if the web becomes slack, it tracks sideways, no matter how carefully the pulling rolls are aligned or what type of said rails are used in attempts to hold the web in check. This is a particularly troublesome problem when large rolls of web stock must be unwound in intermittent fashion. To start and stop the heavy stock roll, which sometimes Weighs hundreds of pounds, each time, to avoid slack, is extremely difiicult at best. Warped or buckled stock is frequently completely unmanageable on normal equipment, particularly if any semblance of registry accuracy is to be maintained.

Very thin tissue or plastic film tends to wrinkle so badly as to be completely spoiled by present equipment.

Summary of the invention It is therefor an object of this invention to provide a web advancing system that actually enables slack Web stock to be advanced in a unique manner to maintain complete constant lateral alignment of the web.

Another object of this invention is to provide a web advancing system employing special sets of balls arranged so as to have capacity for constant lateral web alignment with web advancement, by ball cooperation and rotational action. Side tracking is avoided. Lateral alingment is readily maintained. Accurate registry is possible. Even tissue or plastic web stock can be accurately and rapidly handled. The web can be kept constantly slack so that the heavy stock roll can be driven independent of intermittent feed. Warped and/or buckled stock can even be handled.

The apparatus employs a first set of spherical elements or balls, transverse of the web, and a second set of balls, also transverse of the web, on the opposite surface of the web, each ball positioned opposite a ball of the other set. One set of balls is rotationally driven. All balls can rotate in any direction. The balls are biased together, normally by gravity, due to one set being above the other, so that each ball in one set cooperates with a corresponding ball in the other set. The lower set is normally driven by a rotating power roll. The upper balls are preferably relatively heavy, being metal, at least in the center. The lower balls are preferably slightly resilient, at least on the surface.

Further details of the apparatus and method, and further advantages and objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side elevational view of a web advancing and shearing combination employing the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus in FIG. 1, shown with the side panel of the apparatus removed;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, plan view of a portion of the apparatus, taken on plane III-III of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional, elevational view taken on plane IVIV of FIG. 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment For illustrative purposes, the invention is illustrated having the novel web advancing mechanism and a shearing or cut-off mechanism, the entire assembly being designated by numeral 10. This system includes a web roll mounting and unwinding sub-assembly 12, a web guide sub-assembly .14, the novel web drive and alignment retention sub-assembly 16, and a Web shearing sub-assembly 18.

The ends of a roll 20 of web stock wound on a central core is rotationally supported on sub-assembly 12, and is operably associated with roll rotating and unwinding means such as a belt and sheave mechanism 22. This mechanism is driven as from a suitable gearbox 24 operated by an electrical motor 26 or the like.

Using the novel web advancing sub-assembly 16, mechanism 12 is operated in a manner to maintain slack S in web W in contrast to prior equipment where the web had to be maintained under tension. This web is guided over a suitable support surface of top panel 14' of cabinet 14. This cabinet also preferably mounts the sub-assembly 16 in a manner to be described, as well as the support mechanism for a shearing or cutoff blade 18' of cutofi assembly 18. Individual cut sections of the web may be dropped onto any suitable support surface 30. Blade 18 is mounted in suitable guide means, e.g. 32 (-FIG. 3), and reciprocated to cut the web by suitable drive mechanism 34 (FIG. 2)

It will be obvious from the description of the invention to follow that, instead of a shearing mechanism, any other suitable form of functional apparatus for operating on the web may be employed in combination with web advancing sub-assembly 16. For example, the web may be printed, impressed, die cut, or any of many varied operations, the shearing apparatus being illustrated for exemplary purposes. The web may be advanced continuously, intermittently upon a periodical basis, or on a stop-go basis, in response to any suitable control mechanism.

Sub-assembly 16 includes a first set of a plurality of relatively heavy balls 50, and a second set of a plurality of balls 52. Balls 50 and 52 usually have about the same size diameter. Balls 50 are normally positioned above balls 52, so that each ball 50 is in cooperative relationship with respect to and is biased by gravity toward a ball 52. Upper balls 50 are preferably of metal, at least in the core, but may have a peripheral portion of resilient material such as rubber or other polymeric material. Balls 52 are preferably of a resilient material, at least on the surface, and normally preferably substantially the entire ball, with the most preferred form of ball 52 being a highly resilient rubber molded under high compression and known commonly as a Super Ball.

Lower balls 52 rest upon the peripheral surface of an elongated roller 54 which preferably also has a coating of polymeric material so as to have a relatively high coeflicient of friction for optimum driving relationship with respect to lower balls 52. Roll 54 may be driven by any suitable motor means (not shown) through a suitable gear arrangement 56 or any equivalent apparatus. Roll 54 extends transversely across the direction of web advancement, with its ends rotationally mounted to the side walls of cabinet 14. Also, the plurality of balls 50 and plurality of balls 52 extend transversely across the direction of web advancement. The balls are each shown to be arranged in a linear pattern, one row of each. Alternatively, there could be more than one row, and in various patterns, as will be understood.

Each ball is peripherally retained around its equator 4 tion to advance the web, they can differentially rotate angularly or laterally to enable the web to be constantly laterally aligned by any suitable aligning means such as simple, web straddling guide rails =80 (FIG. 4).

The web can be advanced continuously or intermittently by controlling the drive of roller 54. It has been found that, if the web is to be advanced intermittently, as to the shearing mechanism 18, for example, the most accurate registry of the leading edge of the web for cooperative relationship with the shear or other suitable functional equipment is achieved by having each of lower balls 52' offset forwardly .(with respect to the direction of web advancement) of the corresponding upper ball 50 resting thereon. This forward offset of the lower ball (i.e. or rearward offset of the upper ball) need only be a slight fraction of an inch. It serves to effectively prevent the lower ball from moving slightly in a reverse direction when drive motion is stopped and the weight of the slack in the web tends to pull the lower ball backw-ardly. Since each lowr ball is forward of the upper ball a slight frac tion of an inch, the upper ball in effect traps the lower ball in its forwardmost position within its guide 60 and prevents it from shifting backwardly.

A clutch mechanism is also preferably provided for the ball apparatus. This has the double advantage of enabling the web drive to be stopped even while the power is on, and enabling the weight of the heavy steel balls 50 to be lifted off the resilient, slightly deformable low balls when the machine is not in operation so as not to permanently in a manner to be rotational in all directions, i.e. univerintervals therealong, each opening being just large enough 7 I to receive a ball and allow the ball to freely rotate therein while not allowing substantial lateral or longitudinal movement. Plate 60 is mounted on its ends to the side panels of housing 14, and has a thickness to lie along the equator of each of the balls. The upper panel 14' of cabinet 14 also has a plurality of openings 64 therethrough to expose the upper extremities of lower balls 52 which are positioned and dimensioned so that their upper extremities are substantially coplanar with the upper surface of panel 14'. Thus a web travelling across this surface will engage the upper extremities of lower balls 52.

Upper balls 50 are each positioned so as to rest upon lower balls 52. These lower balls are located by a second transverse elongated plate 70 extending between the side panels of cabinet 14 and having a plurality of openings 72 therein just larger than the diameter of balls 50 to extend around the equator of these balls and allow the balls to freely rotate therein without allowing substantial lateral or longitudinal movement. Plates 60 and 70 may contain roller bearings, e.g. ball bearings, around balls 50 and 52, or may have simply a smooth bearing surface area for each ball.

When a web extends between the lower set of balls and the upper set of balls, the upper set of balls rests upon the upper surface of the web, and forces the lower surface of the web against lower balls 52. The weight of the upper balls tends to slightly impress the lower resilient ball surfaces to form an excellent gripping relationship on the web. Likewise, the weight of the upper balls, plus the lesser weight of the lower balls, causes the lower ball to be forced against the peripheral surface of drive roll 54 for optimum frictional engagement therewith. Rotation of roll 54 causes forceful rotation of lower balls 52 to thereby apply an advancing force on the web in the direction of web advancement. Yet, since each of the balls is universally mounted so that it can rotate in any direction, even while the balls are rotating in one main direcdeform them. This clutch mechanism is very simple in form, constituting an elongated plate which extends transversely across the machine, with a series of spaced openings 90a receiving the lower pole portion of upper balls 50 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. This plate is slidably supported in a pair of transverse slots 92, and located closed enough to the lower extremities of upper balls 50 that, when the plate is shifted laterally as by handle 90' (FIG. 4), openings 90a will shift out of alignment with openings in plate 70, and force the upper balls to shift up onto the solid areas of clutch plate 90 between its spaced openings 90a.

Operation Normally, when the novel apparatus is being used, the web W will be unwound from a large heavy roll ,20 frequently weighing several hundred pounds. This web may be unwound on a demand or programmed basis, so that slack S is provided in the web. This slack web is drawn by novel mechanism 16 by rotation of roll 54 in a reverse direction, causing rotation of lower balls 52 in a forward direction so that the web, which is gripped between the lower and upper balls, is advanced forwardly in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, toward shearing mechanism 18.

While the web is being advanced by the balls, it can be constantly aligned by slight lateral force app ied as by contact of the web against suitable side rails or the equivalent, since the balls will rotate in any differential direction to enable the web to be held properly aligned. In fact, it has been found that even thin tissue paper or the like can be readily advanced and laterally controlled. Also, even buckled or warped stock can be nicely handled. This is in sharp contrast to the limited prior art struc tures.

It is conceivable that those in the art, once they have reviewed the present disclosure, may conceive of various minor structural modifications of the illustrated form of the invention, to suit a particular arrangement, material, production system, or the like, and may conceive of additional advantages of the equipment or uses thereof. These obvious variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Web stock advancing apparatus comprising: first and second cooperative ball means, each including at least one ball adjacent a ball of the other for engaging opposite surfaces of a web therebetwcen and biased together; retention means for each ball means allowing universal rotation thereof; and power drive means operably associated with said first and second ball means to cause rotation thereof, for advancing a web engaged between the balls, while said balls are also free to rotate in other directions to enable constant lateral alignment of the advancing web.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein each ball means comprises a plurality of balls adjacent balls of the other.

3. The apparatus in claim 2 wherein balls of at least one of said ball means have slightly resilient surfaces.

4. The apparatus in claim 2 wherein the balls of one ball means are metal and the balls of the other ball means have resilient, polymeric material at least one their surfaces.

5. The apparatus in claim 4 wherein said power drive means is a drive roll engaging said balls of said second ball means.

6. The apparatus in claim 5 wherein said metal balls are positioned above said balls of the other ball means to be biased theretoward by gravity.

7. The apparatus in claim 6 including clutch means to elevate said metal balls up out of cooperative relation with the other lower plurality of balls.

8. The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said clutch means comprises a plate having a plurality of openings receiving the lower portions of said plurality of metal balls and shiftable to lift said metal balls.

9. The apparatus in claim 6 wherein said metal balls are oifset rearwardly a small amount from the other balls, relative to the direction of web advancement.

10. The apparatus in claim 2 including means to shift one plurality of balls out of cooperative relation with the other.

11. The apparatus in claim 2 wherein said balls are arranged generally transversely of said web advancing direction, and said balls of said first ball means are above the balls of said second ball means.

12. The apparatus in claim 11 wherein said balls of said first ball means are offset rearwardly a small amount from the balls of said second ball means, relative to the direction of web advancement, to prevent said latter balls from backing up under the rearward pulling force of web stock.

13. A method of advancing web stock while maintaining lateral alignment thereof, comprising the steps of: positioning a first plurality of universally rotatable balls transversely of and under the web while retaining them laterally and longitudinally; positioning a second plurality of universally rotatable balls transversely of, above, and resting on the web, each being above one of the first plurality of balls while retaining them laterally and longitudinally providing slack in the web, and forcefully rotating the first plurality of balls in the direction of web advance while laterally guiding the web and thereby causing all of the balls to rotate in a manner to maintain constant alignment of the slack web as .it is advanced.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,190,417 2/1940 Davidson 271--52 3,119,534 1/1964 Lehnert 226-1 RICHARD A. SCHACHER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

